Is HRM an Effective Approach to Managing People at Work Essay

Is HRM an Effective Approach to Managing People at Work - Essay Example Machineries will be passive resources unless they are controlled and operated by human workforce. It should be noted that only the human resources has natural intelligence whereas the machineries have only artificial intelligence. Since human intelligence is much more advanced than artificial intelligence, an organization cannot neglect the importance of manpower and human intelligence under any circumstances. Human resource management or HRM is one of the major divisions of every organization. The success and failures of the organization depends on the functioning of the HRM wing. According to Torrington et al. (2011), â€Å"Human resource management (HRM) is the basis of all management activity†(Torrington et al., 2011, p.4). In other words, all the organizational activities start from the HR department. HR is responsible for assigning duties to the employees of an organization. Human resource management theories are undergoing rapid changes because of the changes in life st yles and advancements in science and technology. Earlier, employees were more interested in getting decent salaries. However, current employees are not only interested in getting decent salaries, but also in getting proper work culture, environment and opportunities to keep a balance between work and life. Effectiveness of HRM lies in keeping a balance between the employee interests and that of the organization’s interests.It is difficult to define HRM in few words because of the complex functions associated with it. Generally speaking â€Å"HRM is the process of managing people in organizations in a structured and thorough manner† (Human Resource Management (HRM), 2012). HR department is responsible for recruitment, retention, allocation of suitable jobs, training and development of employees. A right person at the right place at the right time is always beneficial to an organization and it is the duty of HR to ensure it. Even though unemployment is a big problem in m any of the countries, lack of skilled manpower is creating major problems to organizations. It is the duty of the HR to identify best talents from the employment market so that the organization will always have the se4rvices of extremely good talents. Competition is growing day by day and as a result of that, organizations are competing each other for recruiting best talents. As a result of that employee retention is a major problem nowadays. HR department is responsible for employee retention. Training and development is another major HR function. No employee can develop properly if the organization fails to provide adequate training to them. Knowledge explosion and technological advancements forced organizations to give more importance to training of employees. HR is responsible for training also. It should be noted that the responsibilities of HR will be over after recruitment, retention, and training. Allocation of suitable jobs to the employees is another major HR function. A s mart employee at the wrong place may bring more harm than good to an organization. For example, an employee who has sales skills should be appointed only in the sales department in order to derive maximum efficiency out of him. If the organization wrongly places him in some other departments, he may not deliver the goods. In short, effectiveness of HRM depends on talent identification,

Dual and Cooperative Federalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dual and Cooperative Federalism - Essay Example The founders of federalism hoped to create a government system that is similar to a unitary system. However, the states were included in the system since they already had established government systems that were functional. Thus, the founders of the federalism granted the national government powers and reserve the remaining powers to the local or state governments. Moreover, these expressed powers given to the national government provide an avenue for expansion of the implied powers. Federalism further involves complex relationships among a number of states. For instance, in the United States of America, the constitution of United States of America requires the states to honor all the public acts and the decisions being made by the judiciary of other states. Moreover, federalism involves a number of limitations on the state authority, especially involving the relationships between the state governments. The local governments are not recognized in the federal constitution thus they are used by the states to perform or rather conduct normal activities of the government. Thus, federalism still remains the best governance system in United States of America. This is one of the US achievements as it transferred or rather created an effective constitution structure of the political institution. Hence, federalism and the entire separation of power in the national and state governments relieve other law enacting bodies off the burden of law implementation.

The Archetypal Hero Thesis Essay Example for Free

The Archetypal Hero Thesis Essay Archetypal Hero Thesis The archetypal hero appears in all religions, mythologies and epics of the world in different forms and stories which distinct commonalities can be drawn between each. An archetype is a recurring pattern of character, images, situations or symbols found in mythology, religion, dreams and stories of all cultures that is an expression of the world’s personal and collective unconscious. By that, an archetype is an unlearned tendency to experience things in a certain way. Humans didn’t ‘invent’ archetypes, but they do express archetypes in the conscious world, therefore, the hero is not someone â€Å"out there† in the universe but the hero is an expression of people’s deep psychological aspect of human existence. Heroes from different stories, cultures and times, all possess different traits, whether it is gender, disposition, motives or context. However, the common factor that creates the archetypal hero is the fundamental structure that their journeys follow or, as Joseph Campbell refers to it, the monomyth. Campbell summarizes it as being, â€Å"A hero [that] ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man. While not every story containing a hero follows this path exactly, the hero will be identified by following a similar journey, whilst reflecting the appearance and values of the dominant thinking in a societal group, with the story resulting in the hero’s people gaining independence, usurping power or obtaining a number, or at least one, favorable result to the journey. TKB

Criticisms of the positivism approach

Criticisms of the positivism approach This essay aims to explore and assess the criticisms that have been levelled at the application of positivism within human geography. It will become clear that most of these criticisms follow two interlinked themes: The idea that such scientific and quantitative approaches rely on generalisation and are shallow by nature, and that positivisms objective approach tends to refuse acknowledgement of individuals and their experiences. However, despite the numerous flaws of positivist approaches, it would be naive to ignore the useful aspects of their nomothetic direction. This paper will conclude that the divide between the positivist and non-positivist (humanistic, radical and Marxist) geographers should not be seen as a weakness in the discipline, but rather as Geographys main strength. As Ackerman (1958 p.74, cited in Johnston, 1997) noted, most geographical research has dealt with much generalisation, yet it has given meaning to other research efforts which succeeded it. In this sense it has a block-building characteristic. (p.17). The philosophical divide is therefore in fact constructive. Non positivist approaches compliment the generalisations of the previous more positivist studies through expansion and critique. Before immersing into the stark debates inherent of these criticisms though, a brief history of positivism is necessary so that the critiques that follow can be understood on a contextual basis. Positivism is a philosophical approach that can be applied to social sciences. The approach was founded upon the belief that phenomena of the human social world are no different from those of the natural inorganic and organic world (Unwin, 1992 p.31). As a result, the father of positivism (Kitchin, 2006 p.20), Auguste Comte felt that social phenomena should be studied using more scientific methodologies. Kitchin (2006) explains that this new approach, first presented in Comtes mid 19th century writings, focused on facts and truths that could be empirically proven and observed. Indeed the reasoning behind the coining of the term positivism was the approaches aim to prioritise actual truths. Comte demanded objective studies using replicable methods so that common laws could be generated, he was consequently dismissive of metaphysical and normative questions as they were seemingly impossible to answer from a scientific standpoint. As positivism grew in influence it branched into two main directions; logical positivism and critical rationalism (falsification). Logical positivism, a product of the Vienna Circle in the 1920s, revolves around the idea that a hypothesis should be set and vigorously tested until it becomes statistically true (Johnston et al, 2000). Popper (1976) on the other hand suggested the ideal that something is only true until it is disproved, therefore academics should be aiming to nullify hypotheses. In turn this becomes a more objective method as you are not biased toward satisfying the criteria within your own hypothesis. Of course there are flaws with both of these ideals. It is impossible to prove many things beyond a doubt, especially when dealing with processes as complicated as those applied to human geography; and not everything can be falsified, it is for example not possible to falsify something that cannot be directly tested. Nevertheless, these two strands of positivism played an important role in the application of the philosophy within human geography. Whilst positivism set the groundwork for the debates that are to follow, the quantitative revolution acted as the trigger. In the 1950s Geographys low reputation as a science led to an increase in positivist and quantitative approaches to human geography as the discipline attempted to legitimise itself by producing laws based on observational evidence (Unwin, 1992 p.106). Indeed geography had shifted dramatically from a traditional idiographic descriptive approach to that of a nomothetic, thriving on evidence and statistics. Of course both approaches are still present in contemporary geography, yet the rise in positivist research is undeniable. This of course leads us to the criticisms that one half of the geographical divide have levelled at their positivistic adversaries. As outlined in the introduction, most of the criticisms aimed at positivism in human geography are loosely based around its shallow nature, sweeping statements and lack of normative questions. The first major critique of the positivist approach is its over tendency to focus on space, this has been termed spatial fetishism. Livingstone (1992, p.328) goes as far as to suggest that Geographys confrontation with the vocabulary of logical positivism was a post hoc means of rationalizing its attempt to reconstitute itself as a spatial science. Geography should be covering more than just space and scales, indeed it is called human geography as its intent should be to uncover peoples experiences and interactions with the world and each other. It is certainly easy to criticise positivism if its purpose was to prioritise spatial science over other geographies. The progress of the discipline would certainly be limited if the majority of research was based only on quantitative spatial analysis a nd modelling. Sack (1980) agrees that positivistic geographys spatial feitsh has been at the expense of all other aspects of geography. Collinge (2005) argues that too much focus on distinctive spatial relations to society and social change can be deconstructive. He applauds and calls for a continuation of critique against geographies current understanding of space and society, instead suggesting that interactions between the two (the kind that can not be covered with mass generalisations) should be studied more closely with less focus on the distinction between the two dimensions. Whilst this effort by Collinge and indeed new feminist geographers is certainly noble, it is a relatively weak critique as it offers no real solution. Even so, as Collinge himself inferred, critique can actually be constructive, it does after all lead to further research and in turn further knowledge of the world. Continuing along the critique of positivist geographys spatial fetishism, Sack (1980) also claims that this focus on space actually serves to isolate space from time. This is yet another critique that suggests positivism to be deconstructive. Dynamism is at the heart of geography, particularly the human side. Quantitative studies can be taken, correlations and patterns can be observed, but the results are always going to be inherently subject to change. Indeed positivisms nomothetic approach aims to produce laws, but does not take all things into consideration. This is integral to Harveys (1973) argument as he claims that positivism ignores factors such as political and sociological shifts that can only be studied qualitively. However, that does not mean that positivism doesnt belong in geography. Even if we were to assume that positivism were only interested in spatial sciences, it is still a useful philosophy, as is quantitativism a useful tool. In a subject as dynamic as geography qualitative methods alone could not sufficiently understand the world. Whilst positivism is flawed and overgeneralising, and could even be said to be a form of spatial fetishism, quantitative research can produce quick results. This of course is vital in what is an ever changing landscape. To revert to the two main themes of critique outlined in the introduction, positivist studies are, or at least were, shallow natured both in terms of what, and how they analysed phenomena. As Spate (1960) explained, there is a need for quantitative geography, but the knowledge that is gained cannot be expressed purely in number form. It is starting now to become clear that the philosophical divide that exists within geography may not be such a bad thing after all. Positivist studies are acquiring the raw facts, all be it with at times a generalised attitude, but critics are expanding upon these facts, thus engineering a better working knowledge. Interestingly though, many of these criticisms are loosely based around the logical side of positivism. The potential usefulness of falsification (despite its flaws) in an ever changing subject is intriguing, in which case, truths need not necessarily always be truths. A second set of critiques target positivisms laissez faire attitude towards its research subjects. Perhaps the key figurehead behind this critique is David Harvey. Even in Harveys Explanation in Geography (1969, p.107), a book that wasnt exceptionally radical being one of his earlier works, saw that it would be foolish to suggest that all our outstanding substantive problems will be solved merely by the touch of the glittering wand of scientific explanation. By 1973 Harvey had become disheartened with the over reliance of positivist approaches within geography, not just because it so often failed to ask why things were as they were, but namely due to its neutrality and hence its inability to solve the problems that it so often uncovered. It was this silence and ineptitude which essentially explain(ed) the necessity for a revolution in geographic thought (Harvey, 1973). Harveys revolution namely resulted in the creation of both Marxist and Radical geographers (Kitchin, 2006). Indeed t he effects of this evolving geography are still felt today with the expansion of feminist geography amongst other groups. Once again we reach the divide within the discpilne. To quickly summarise and reiterate here, the dualism within geography and the critique of positivist approaches actually went as far as to create new branches of geography, something that can only be beneficial for research purposes as the subject has evolved to become more diversified than ever. Surely then the hunger for knowledge within geography is actually as great as it has ever been. Whilst Kwan and Schwanen (2009) argue that this antagonistic divide is only hindering progress, I would argue that based on this historical evidence, the critique between the two has actually helped geography evolve into a much more complex, and consequently more knowledgeable discipline. To return to this set of critiques though, it could be said that Harveys earlier quantitative interests (present in Harvey, 1969) only serve to show Harvey up as a hypocrite considering the radical reversal in his views. Indeed Harvey himself stated that by our theories you shall know us (Harvey, 1969 p.486). Of course if this were the case then it may serve to discredit his works. On the contrary, it actually shows the true degree to which he was discontented by the general ignorance of positivistic geography. His experience within quantitative studies actually gives extra validity to his arguments. The last of the main attacks on positivism targets the objectivity that is underpins the philosophy. Goodwin (2005) discusses the advent of humanistic geography, yet another offspring from the critics of positivism and its scientific and nomathetic approach. Humanistic geography aims to uncover the importance of ideal, cultures and languages within local geographies. Humanists argue that people cannot be modelled using sweeping scientific methodology, indeed independent thought prevents that, not to mention the fact that ideals cannot be mapped quantitatively. Ley (1974) argues that such phenomena can be mapped qualitatively though, actually visiting the areas that you wish to research. Upon researching geographies of gang culture Lay suggested that graffiti markings represent the language of space for members of the street gang culture (1974 p.218, cited in Goodwin, 2005 p.55). From a critical standpoint though, humanist geography can only ever achieve so much. There frankly arent e nough geographers, nor is there sufficient time to absolutely understand aoll of the emotional attachments and ideas that humans have relating to place, space and nature. To go back to an earlier point, geography is inherently dynamic. Positivism, if nothing else, can produce a relatively quick scientific (all be it shallow) representation of the world. Even if these laws do isolate time from space, the studies can be repeated so that new laws can be constructed. It is by no means perfect, but it is pragmatic. An example of where mass information is required is in government. With governments usually in power for just 4-5 years in the UK, actual raw figures are necessary so that policies can be planned and implemented within the partys term time. Such data is often acquired and analysed by positivist geography academics (Rhind, 1981). Of course we have to be careful not to rely solely on such quantitative studies or else important issues will go unnoticed and thus unsolved, but thanks to the evident divide, there is little chance of positivism ever totally dictating geographical research. It has become apparent that there are many critics of positivism and its application to human geography. The critiques themselves generally target the philosophies objectivity, generalising nature and and its shallow desire for fact alone. Yet there is a need for positivistic and quantitative approaches. These often sweeping studies that assume homogeneity are flawed in many ways, but they deliver actual results that are necessary for many institutions, furthermore they can quickly respond to changing laws within a dynamic environment. In conclusion it is clear that positivist approaches have become a necessary part of research within human geography, but the humanist side cannot be ignored. Much more can be learned about the world than numbers alone can ever represent. The need for a balance between quantitative and qualitative studies is obvious. Where Kwan and Shawanen claim that the confrontations between the two strands are detrimental to geographys progress, it should be contested that in actual fact the divide in opinion has been beneficial to the discipline. Critique and expansion have led to the creation of new divisions and understandings of geography, hence, wider knowledges.

Comparing John Locke, John Stuart Mill, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau Essay

Comparing John Locke, John Stuart Mill, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau John Locke, John Stuart Mill, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau all dealt with the issue of political freedom within a society. John Locke's â€Å"The Second Treatise of Government†, Mill's â€Å"On Liberty†, and Rousseau’s â€Å"Discourse On The Origins of Inequality† are influential and compelling literary works which while outlining the conceptual framework of each thinker’s ideal state present divergent visions of the very nature of man and his freedom. The three have somewhat different views regarding how much freedom man ought to have in political society because they have different views regarding man's basic potential for inherently good or evil behavior, as well as the ends or purpose of political societies. In order to examine how each thinker views man and the freedom he should have in a political society, it is necessary to define freedom or liberty from each philosopher’s perspective. John Locke states his belief that all men exist in "a state of perfect freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions and person as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave or depending upon the will of any other man." (Ebenstein 373) Locke believes that man exists in a state of nature and thus exists in a state of uncontrollable liberty, which has only the law of nature, or reason, to restrict it. (Ebenstein 374) However, Locke does state that man does not have the license to destroy himself or any other creature in his possession unless a legitimate purpose requires it. Locke emphasizes the ability and opportunity to own and profit from property as necessary for being free. John Stuart Mill defines liberty in relation to three sph... ...Mill does not implicitly trust or distrust man and therefore does not explicitly limit freedom, in fact he does define freedom in very liberal terms, however he does leave the potential for unlimited intervention into the personal freedoms of the individual by the state. This nullifies any freedoms or rights individuals are said to have because they subject to the whims and fancy of the state. All three beliefs regarding the nature of man and the purpose of the state are bound to their respective views regarding freedom, because one position perpetuates and demands a conclusion regarding another. Bibliography: Works Cited Cress, Donald A. Jean-Jacques Rousseau â€Å"The Basic Political Writings†. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1987. Ebenstein, William. Great Political Thinkers â€Å"From Plato to Present†. New York: Rinehart & Co, 1951.

Critcal Analysis of CATCHER IN THE RYE :: Essays Papers

Critcal Analysis of CATCHER IN THE RYE 10 Quotes and Responses from The Catcher in the Rye "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth." This statement actually caught my full attention. I like the way that he started this book off. It gave me a sense that the book was going to be very interesting and real. This is a very catchy statement that made me want to continue reading at my own willing and not to just be continuing so I can finish this assignment. It shows that the narrator is not going to start the book off by giving the reader boring details about his life. Instead, he is going to skip all of the usual details and jump to the real stories about his life that he finds and interesting, and that I also found very interesting. â€Å"The more expensive the school is, the more crooks it has-I’m not kidding.† I agree with this statement because people tend to assume that if the school is very expensive, then the crime rate will be lower. Although they think that way, they are making the wrong assumption because they have crooks too. Not only do they have crooks, but they also have high-class crooks. The only difference is that the crooks at more expensive schools may get away with the crime because they have an advantage that crooks in other schools do not have. They have money and they can use the money to bribe people so their reputations are not messed up. â€Å"Game, my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hotshots are, then it’s a game, all right-I’ll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there aren’t any hot-shots, then what’s a game about it? Nothing. No game.† Holden feels that in order for life to be a game one must be a hot-shot. He feels that if people are not considered to be hot-shots, then those people are not participating in this so-called game of life.

Chapter Guide for “Twilight of Atheism” Essay

The classical version of atheism is vastly different than the atheism that is known today. – Some consider â€Å"modern atheism† as one of the greatest achievements of human intellect. Immortalization in Greek myths meant â€Å"infinite extension of existence, not the infinite projection of moral qualities† – Classical Greek atheism denied â€Å"traditional religion of the Athenian establishment† – Protestant reformers wrote against church’s corruption and straying from â€Å"authentic models of the New Testament† – Protestantism eventually gained popularity in Western Europe in 1600s -â€Å"Historical origins of modern atheism lie primarily in an extended criticism of the power and status of the church – The 18th century was regarded the â€Å"most creative period of atheist experimentation and reflection† Historians date the birth of ‘avowed’ or intentional atheism in Britain to around the year 1782 Credit for the serious advancement of atheism on he eve of the Victorian era is most due to William Godwin. He believed that social vision rested on the assumption of the perfectibility of humanity through reason. Mary Robinson wrote that, â€Å"nature was emancipated from being God’s creation, and became a divinity in its own right. Percy Shelley argued that since compelling evidence for the existence of God is lacking, here is no intellectual obligation to believe in God. However, Shelley never explicitly denies the existence of a God in general. Shelley seems to argue against institutional religion. Mary Ann Evans aka George Eliot, grew up an evangelical, but turned into an atheist because she was of the increasingly dogmatic and impersonal constructs of the Christian faith. Evans/Eliot turned to a religion of human sympathy, she believed that the moral aspects of faith could be maintained without Christianity. A. C. Swinburne was more avant-garde and aggressive in his approach to spreading atheism. He visualized god as a birch-wielding tyrant that oppresses humanity. Swineburne believed that only the rejection of God would open the way to human self-fulfillment. By the middle of the Nineteenth Century Jesus was seen as a moral sage, or as a role model. George Tyrrell was appalled that Jesus was seen as less captivating, but conceded that the Christ was a â€Å"pale reflection† of his biblical self. Chapter 6 Dostoyevsky was a Russian novelist that wrote on a fictional Russia that turned to atheism to solve its problems. While he showed attractive of that choice, he also presented some of its more troubling features. His criticisms were directed more toward the world God supposedly created, more than critiquing God himself. Nietzsche emphasized that the belief in the Christian God became unbelievable. Nietzsche admits that the realization that â€Å"God is dead† will travel slowly because it is just too â€Å"unthinkable†. For nihilism, a religious worldview is oppressive because it insists that we will be held accountable for our actions. In a nihilistic view, there are no sins, because nothing matters in the end. Albert Camus argued that human life is rendered meaningless by death, which prevents the individual from making sense of existence. For Camus death is not to be seen as a realize but as a denial of all of our accomplishments. However Atheism did not materialize as well in the United States. Many thinkers believed that if God was not in heaven, he could be found somewhere else. Chapter 7 â€Å"new atheism† embraces those who question God; people who consider themselves Agnostic. McGrath writes that atheism is not about the suspension of judging whether God exists, he states that true atheism is a firm disbelieve in God. He writes that true atheists view religion as outdated, enslaving, and a self-contradiction. McGrath criticizes the idea that if there was a God, why does he allow suffering, by showing the fact that many of the atrocities committed to humans are caused by other humans – the ones that are supposed to be the â€Å"new gods† In the 19th century people were invited to in-vision a world without God, but in the 20th it had already been attempted through the Soviet Union. But by 1980 it was obvious that this had not happened, in seemed to have reversed. John Henry Newman wrote that Christianity was a, â€Å"living organism still in the process of evolving and developing†. Pentecostalism seemed to become very popular in the years after the second World War. Pentecostalism stresses a direct, immediate experience with God, apposed to the more dry forms of worship in Christianity. It also uses a language that allows it to bridge cultural gaps easily. Chapter 8 – McGrath believes that Protestantism helped Atheism develop in some way. -Durning the Reformation the distinction between nature and God were widened a bit. The idea that the natural world was not sacred spread amongst popular thinkers. -They believed that even if God did create the world, we could not conceive God through it. They believed that God had to be known indirectly. Protestant reformers suspected that that medieval Catholicism occasionally degenerated into a folk religion of nature. -They believed that God revealed himself through the bible and preaching. He states that Protestantism encouraged the notion that God was absent from human culture and experience. This idea seems to mirror some of the ideas the budding ideas of Atheism. McGrath argues that protestantism took away some of the creativity of religion, which in turn made atheism seem more appealing. Atheism had a view of universality and a notion that it was above the common person. – Atheism has always been on the sidelines of American life and perhaps will remain there. – Signs of loss of confidence in atheism. – â€Å"Sun seems to be setting on an†¦Ã¢â‚¬Ëœempire of the mind’† Chapter 11 -Future of atheism lies in private belief, not in the public domain it once had. – Proved situation specific, not universal, and oppressing and not liberating. -Radical religious change led to tinkering with vocabulary instead of eliminating vices. Atheism confirms this theory. Nietzsche wrote, â€Å"God is dead, as a meaningful reality, but the people had to believe in something else if that was the case†. -Sigmund Freud stated that, â€Å"religion encouraged unhealthy and dysfunctional outlooks on life†. -Growing awareness for spirituality instead. -Religion brings together groups of people such as immigrants, creating communities. -In the US, atheism spawns organizations, not communities. -Atheism has not learned from their leader’s mistakes, and needs to grow leaders to fix it – Greatest virtue: moral seriousness. But atheism is in a twilight zone at the moment.